


How It All Began

by cimberelly



Series: TaiKi Coffeeshop AU [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Community: basketballpoetsociety, First Meetings, M/M, otp battle 2014 entry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 11:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1264357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cimberelly/pseuds/cimberelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coffeeshop AU. Before they were “the grumpy barista and the regular who pines for him”, they were strangers who had to meet somehow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How It All Began

**Author's Note:**

> The prequel to the "Over at TaiKi" drabbles and one of my entries to this year's BPS OTP Battle.

It started with cappuccino.

And it was funny because Kise wasn’t even a regular coffee drinker. Sure, he drank some every now and then when he met people at coffeeshops or he just needed to wake up and his natural uppers weren’t working. What he ordered were usually concoctions that embodied both “sweet” and “fun”, drinks with the sugary trappings of caramel, milk, chocolate or cream that stood out stronger than the coffee base. Cold frappuccinos he could drink with a straw and bring around with him wherever he went with no problem as he sparkled and chattered freely. He didn’t need much to perk him up as he was naturally perky. All he usually needed was sunshine and attention to get him going.

And so it was on a dreary, rainy day that it happened.

It had been raining all day and rain always had a way of making him feel down. Maybe it was how everything looked gloomy—the sky, the surroundings, the people. And getting wet was never fun; getting caught out in the rain was even worse.He didn’t have his umbrella with him which was probably very dumb. The weather forecast said there would be rain but an umbrella just didn’t seem to fit the overall concept of his fashion ensemble today. He was trying to be the sunshine amidst the gray, what the rest of the dark, sad world was missing. And he just didn’t want to dress up like it was going to rain! It was just too depressing.

Of course he ended up regretting it.

Kise huffed, cheeks puffing while amber eyes glare up at the dark sky from under a shade. So much for being sunshine in the rain. He retreated at the first threatening drops. But well, anything to save his designer coat. It was expensive after all.

It was then that he smelled it: the distinctive, welcoming aroma of brewing coffee. During a cold, rainy day, even someone who only had a passing interest in coffee like him would be tempted by it.

It was also then that he noticed that he had stepped under an awning that belonged to the establishment behind him, the coffeeshop that provided that inviting and comforting scent. Not a Starbucks, definitely, but one of those indie places that probably strove to differentiate itself from the usual, commercial identity of coffee shops nowadays. Kise glanced back towards the falling rain, blurred skies and decided, _what the hell?_

There was no bell announcing his arrival though given how the coffeeshop was nearly empty, it probably didn’t matter. He was assaulted with warmth the moment he stepped in and combined with that warm, lazy coffee smell and the low light lighting design of the place, Kise felt himself start to relax. There were probably five people at the most inside and they were all mostly busy doing their own business as they huddled into comfortable-looking high-backed chairs and overstuffed couches. There were of course more traditional dining sets for people who probably needed the place to work rather than relax though they were whimsical too, bursting with color and charmingly mismatched. Then there were the more personal, sometimes strange, touches probably thought up by the owner too, like the huge cork board almost filled with handwritten messages on colorful paper and pictures of who have been there before. Was that a mini basketball court to one side? It even had a little hoop and a matching set of little basketballs.

When Kise reached the counter, he looked up at the menu, not surprised at how it was scribbled in colored chalk on a dark board. It just seemed to fit the general atmosphere of the shop which was casual yet homey. Now the question was, what to get?

“Get a cappuccino.”

The deep, gruff voice came out of nowhere and Kise almost jumped.

He didn’t notice the man sitting by the cash register. In fairness to Kise, the menu grabbed his attention and the cash register was a bit to the side. He actually had to walk toward it to even see the man because he was on the other side, kind of away from view. Dark, lidded eyes were watching him. That gaze was too intent somehow and Kise almost squirmed under it. Almost. It wasn’t as if Kise wasn’t used to people staring at him after all.

The man spoke again. “You look like a cappuccino.”

Kise stared. He didn’t want to presume but, was this guy hitting on him?

“Ah—”

But before he could actually say anything (it could be something stupid or egotistical most probably), the man got up and Kise was kind of stunned at how tall he was. He was even taller than he was and Kise was tall. Then he moved toward the machine behind the counter and… started making coffee. At least that was what Kise thought. He really had no idea what those machines in coffeeshops did. He didn’t really pay attention. He was usually distracted by whoever he was with or the message he was reading or typing on his phone. What did it matter? He was just there to buy coffee, not study it.

“Hey,” he tried again, going for a firmer tone as he addressed the back of the guy who was now completely ignoring him. Kise figured he was the one currently minding the coffeeshop, of course. “are you going to take my order? Because I think I’d just like hot chocolate right now, so—”

“A cappuccino.” He was rudely cut off and Kise frowned because wow, what awful service and he was pretty sure baristas weren’t supposed to loom threateningly over their customers like that. Those eyes were really annoying at their lazy but intense focus.

Kise tried again, almost glaring back into those eyes. “Look, I didn’t order a cappuccino.” The fact that he wasn’t going to pay for it need not be said.

And for his insistence, he got this _look_ like he was the one touched in the head and not the barista who didn’t even take orders from customers. “You drink it and if you don’t like it, I’ll pay you the cost of it.”

Again, Kise stared. Was this guy serious?

A dark eyebrow raised in a challenge and he leaned close, making Kise want to lean away but he stood his ground.

“What, you scared of a little bit of espresso, Pretty Boy?”

The cappuccino had a fancy leaf on the foam and as it warmed him all the way to his toes, it was also flavored just sweetly enough that he had no real complaints though he usually preferred it much, much sweeter. Actually, it was the best cup of coffee he’d ever had though that was probably not much to go on. Not much of a coffee drinker, remember? Of course, he ended up paying for it and he had to endure the awful, arrogant smirk of the insane barista (named Aomine Daiki, he later came to know) whenever he came back for the next few weeks or so until he became far too fond of it and Aomine started to actually notice.

Now, Kise had to beg and cajole for teddy bear cappuccino art on his foam, customized drinks conceptualized by Aomine’s caffeinated genius and also his undivided, focused attention and affections but that was okay.

Things were just beginning.


End file.
